Food Porn: Chow Chocolat (Main St)

****Chow Chocolat has since closed this location.

Donnie and I have been talking about going to Chow Chocolat for weeks now. We finally headed down this weekend and it was worth the wait.

Chow Chocolat is located on the 700 block of Main Street in downtown Buffalo, right where the “subway” heads underground. They just opened less than a year ago, and so far, they seem to be doing pretty good. They are redoing that chunk of Main so there is a lot of annoying construction going on. Hopefully this will be done soon because I think it might be diverting some potential customers away from this area. Regardless of the construction, though, this place is worth the trip down. The interior is gorgeous, very modern and simple, half art gallery, half coffee shop, complete with chandeliers and very fancy yet comfy seating.

We started with some drinks. A tea for Donnie and a hot chocolate for myself. The hot chocolate was amazing, some of the best I have had in a while, with the perfect amount of froth/whipped cream on top.

For our “main course” we ordered their fondue. The chocolate was their “house blend” which was pretty much milk chocolate but with a hint of some crunch… I’m not sure exactly how they made it but it was damn delicious. To dip, there was a lovely platter of fruit, cheesecake, brownies, nuts, cookie straws, and even a small amount of ice cream (which we were encouraged to eat first).

Look at how amazing that looks…. And it tasted even better.

Other than their fondue, they have a nice menu of your typical coffee house drinks…coffees, teas, etc. They also serve organic free trade coffee and to-go cups are 100% recyclable. They also have a great selection of desserts and, of course, a nice little selection of chocolates, which are homemade and come in a wide variety of flavors (check out the menu on their site for more). It is a bit pricey (18$ for our fondue) but nothing crazy and definitely do-able and a great place to go with a few friends or on a nice date. The only cons, other than the outside construction, are the hours. During the week they are only open until 5pm, so if you work during the day and you are not nearby, you probably won’t make it over. On Fridays and Saturdays, however, they are open until 10pm.

I encourage everyone to stop by Chow, even if it’s just to get a cup of coffee….support this little gem so it doesn’t meet the fate that many other small Buffalo establishments do…. BTW, if its your thing, they also open the place up to dance lessons and art exhibits (check the website for event news).

Donnie Burtless is the founder of BuffaloEats.org. He also co-hosts two podcasts: Grain of Salt and The Burtlist. He's judged over 30 different food contests around Western New York and has written for Buffalo Spree, The Public and Visit Buffalo Niagara.